Indroda Nature Park of Gujarat, the Only Dinosaur Museum in India

Indroda Nature Park is located in Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat
, in India. The park is considered as one of the top tourist attractions of the city. Spread over an area of about 468 hectares, the nature park is placed along the banks of the Sabarmati River. Indroda Nature Park is the second largest hatchery that has got the dinosaur eggs in the entire world and it is managed by the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER). It is the only dinosaur museum in the country and it includes a huge botanical garden, interpretation center, massive skeletons of sea mammals like the blue whale, a zoo and also provides camping facilities. The place also houses a Wilderness Park which is inhabited by diverse species of birds, reptiles, langurs, hundreds of nilgais and peafowl within its vast forest area. It is a perfect destination for nature lovers and is visited by tourists from different parts of the country.

Attractions

Along the span of time, the flora and fauna of this place has increased tremendously, with the park including some rare and endangered species. The place provides a wide range of facilities for research and interpretation of floral and faunal species along with a natural history museum. 

Dinosaur Section

The park holds a section for dinosaur eggs hatchery. The dinosaur section of this nature park holds a wide collection of fossilized eggs, skeletons and skin impressions of dinosaurs. These things prove to the existence of dinosaurs in India in the early times. The fossils that can be seen at this place are said to be existing since 65 million years ago, which is quite amusing as the fossils are still in the same place. The dinosaurs’ eggs of different size and structure can also be seen over here. Some of these eggs look like a huge cannon ball. Visitors can only view and take pictures of the eggs and fossils, as touching them is strictly prohibited. Some of rare species of dinosaur skeletons that can be also seen at this place are Tyrannosaurus rex, Brachiosaurus, Barapasaurus, lguanodon, Antarctosaurus, Stegosaurus and Megalosaurus. 

Zoo Section

The Indroda Nature Park also has a different section for a variety of wild animals. The species of wild animals that you can see at this place are leopard, blackbuck, antelopes, tiger, sambar, jackal and few others. These animals are kept in a large enclosure that includes the best possible natural environment for them. The park is also visited by about 201 varieties of birds during seasons, with 65 varieties coming here during the breeding season. About 31 varieties of birds have been kept in the walk-in aviary for the bird watchers. 

Reptile and Marine Animal Sections

The place also houses a different section for reptiles, which includes tortoises, snakes, crocodiles and few other species of reptiles. As for the marine section of the nature park, it includes dolphins, whales and skeletons and replicas of different aquatic animals. Botanical garden and geological garden has also been developed at this place, which are very much popular among the visitors. 

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the place is during the months of October to February, as the region experiences a pleasant climate during this time of the year. 

Accommodation

Except for the few camping sites the nature park does not facilitate any other type of accommodation facilities. However, the close by areas of the Indroda Nature Park is dotted with several numbers of budget, mid-budget and luxury hotels that offer excellent staying facilities to their guests.

How to Reach

By Road: As the nature park is located in the Sector 8 of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat, the place can be reached from different parts of the state, such as Ahmadabad, Vadodra, Rajkot, Vadhana and others. Regular state owned buses and private luxury buses are available to this place from different parts of the state. 

By Air: The nearest airport to this place is in Ahmadabad, located at a distance of about 30 km. The airport operates regular flights to different parts of India, such as Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and others. Local and hired taxis are available from the airport to the place.

By Rail: The nearest major railway station to this place is in Ahmadabad, located at a distance of about 30 km. The station is well connected with various major cities in India, such as Jammu, Jaipur, Nagpur, Guwahati, Amritsar etc. Regular taxi services are available from outside the station to get to the place.